Closure mechanism for pressure type vessels



J. WINKS ETI' AL 2 SHEETS-SHEET l JNVENTQRS. Jb )am Han/65,

Dec. 4, 1951 CLOSURE MECHANISM FOR PRESSURE TYPE VESSELS Original Filed June 13, 1945 Z Y 1 y@ 3 m 6 Dec. 4, 1951 J. wlNKs ETAL CLOSURE MECHANISM FOR PRESSURE TYPEVVESSELS original Filed June 13, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEE l lll/4 7 JNVENTpRs. J 7U@ Uma/e6,

Patented Dec. 4, 1951 `CLOSURE MECHANISM FOR PRESSURE TYPE VEKSSELS John Winks and Lynn Fletcher, Lowell, Mich., as-

signors to Lowell Specialty Company, Lowell, Mich., a corporation of Michigan original application June 1s, 1945, serial No. 599,258. Divided and this application January 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,400

7 Claims.

The invention relates to closures for pressuretype vessels and, more particularly, to mechanisms for closing, locking, unlocking and opening vessels which may be under substantial internal pressures. While features of the invention are applicable to pressure vessels of various ltypes used for many purposes, it is ideally adapted for use in pressure-type portable sprayers for which reason it will be disclosed herein in such application. This patent application is a division of our patent application Serial Number 599,258, led June 13, 1945, now Patent No. 2,529,645.

Pressure vessels require tight fitting closures or covers for access openings and generally employ complicated mechanisms for securing and locking such covers or closures in place. In some types 'the closure'member is arranged to close from the exterior of the vessel or against the pressure and in other types the closure is applied from the interior of the vessel and closes with the pressureA and the latter type has been chosen for exemplication of the invention hereof. Many such vessels employ a pressure relief valve for relieving pressure built up within the vessel and while relief of the internal pressure before opening the vessel is desirable as a safety measure regardless of the manner in which the closure is applied, relief of pressure is almost indispensable in types employing closures which close with the pressure and open against the pressure, in order to eiect the opening operation.

Ordinarily the pressure relief valve is opened by hand or some simple tool to effect relief of pressure, but ifA the contents of the vessel should be of such nature as to be susceptible of injuring a person, as would be the case in the event the vessel contains steam, acid or poisonous material, the pressure relief should not be opened in such manner as to endanger the users person, clothing, etc. Furthermore the arrangement should be such that the closure is prevented from opening until the internal pressure of the vessel has been reduced to a negligible quantity.

One of the primary objects of the invention, therefore, is to provide a cover locking and releasing mechanism, for pressure vessels, which will serve at once to close and secure the cover in place'with a tight t between cover and vessel'and, at the same time, Will not be releasable to permit the cover to be opened unless and until the pressure within the vessel has been released. In this connection a feature of the invention resides in a cooperative relationship between a handle-for opening and closing the cover, a cover lock and a pressure relief valve. Y

Another important feature lies in an arrangement of the cover, in a preferred embodiment, so that it hinges on the inside of the pressure vessel and closes with the pressure, thereby to protect the cover, hinge, gasket or other seal and other related parts against dirt and injury as well as to insure a seal (the pressure within the vessel tending to effect a tight joint seal) and to aid in preventing opening of the closure except after release of pressure through a relief valve or the like.

Still another objective is to provide a novel and simple locking mechanism in which the handle, byjwhich the cover is manipulated in opening and closing the access (or filling) opening, also serves, in cooperation with a marginal portion of the Vvessel about the access opening, to wedge and lock the cover in its closed position, the handle being arranged to lie substantially flat against the surface of the cover when the cover is closed and locked thereby being disposed out of the way of injury or doing injury.

Many other objects as well as the uses and advantages of the invention will be appreciated and i understood upon reading the following description and claims and after viewing the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spraying apparatus embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus looking toward the right at Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structures of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectionalview on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, it will be observed that the liquid container, which is of generally cylindrical form, is for purposes of strength and for economy in manufacture made up of a central cylinder 6 of relatively light sheet metal and a bottom l and top 8 of heavier sheet metal adapted to withstand the impacts to which such a container is subjected in ordinary usage. The top and bottom are securely attached to the intermediate portion 6, preferably by riveting and soldering, and in this manner the weight of the container is reduced over what it would be if made entirely of the heavier metal comprising the top and bottom, while the ends, Where injury is most likely to occur, are sufficiently strong and heavy to meet the requirements.

In use vthe container is carried by a shoulder 3 strap 9 slung over the shoulder of the user. rlhe end wall of the top 8 is provided, as will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 4, with two openings, the larger, roughly oval in shape, being the filling opening adapted to be closed by the cover il, and the smaller, of circular shape, being adapted to accommodate the pump cylinder I2. the upper end of which is threaded for connec tion with the flanged pump cap I3.

The pump cylinder is provided; near its upper end with a circumferential bead or shoulder I4 which is larger in diameter than the pump opening i5 in the end of the container, and a gasket i6 interposed between the shoulder I4 and the margins surrounding the opening i5 serves to provide a hermetic seal when thecap I3 is threaded into snug engagement with the end wall so that the wall is snugly clamped between the flange I' of the cap and the gasket I6. In this manner the pump is suspended and rigidly held within the container. entirely independently of the filler opening and its closure II. 'The parts are assembled by introducing the pump cylinder into the container through the filler opening and then projecting its upper end outwardly through the opening I5, whereupon the cap I3 may be threaded into clamping position, as shown.

A piston I8 reciprocable in the cylinder I2 by a piston rod I9 extends through a guide 2| carried by the cap I3 and is attached at its upper end to a handle 22 by which the piston is operated. The handle is Aprovided with legs 23 minating in outwardly disposed anges 24, and the cap I3 is provided with openings enlarged at one end, as indicated at 25, to permit the passage therethrough of the flanges 2G, but of reduced width at the other end so that upon rotative movement of the handle in a vcounter'- clockwise direction viewing Fig. 5 the flanges- 23 will be positioned beneath the marginsof the narrow portions of the openings. The handle, therefore, cannotrbe pulled away from the cap. Thus the handle is locked in its innermost position when the pump is not being used, and in such position it may serve Yas'Y a carrying handle by which the entire sprayer'may be carried. The handle when engaged With-the cap, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, may be employed-- in applying the cap to or removing it `from the upper end of the cylinder by a rotative move-V ment. While the pump normally remains'in its mounted position, the piston may bewithdrawn for repair or replacement purposes'by disconnecting the cap I3 and lifting the capand piston away from the cylinder by meanso the handle 22.

The lower end of the pump, which'projects" beneath the level of the liquid in the container when the container is nearly one-half filled or more, is provided with an open valveY chamber which contains acheck valve 25 urged bya spring 21 into engagement with a seat formed forms a seal between the cover andthe cone;

tainer around theller opening. 'Ihe oblong ter-p shape of the opening and cover permits the introduction of the cover endwise into the container where it is hingedly supported by engaging a pair of hooks 34 mounted on the cover in eyes of a bracket 35 Ysuspended from the upper wall` of the container. This bracket is held in place by a plurality of rivets 36. The hinging of the cover on the bracket is readily accomplished by reaching in through the filler opening. When once mounted as illustrated,

' the cover remains hinged to the bracket until u for the cover.

manually disconnected therefrom for removal of thegasket or other repair purposes.

Upon the outer face of the cover II a substantially D-'shaped handle 37 made of rod stock is mounted bymeans of a keeper 38 for lateral oscillatory movement and longitudinal reciprocatory movement with respect to the cover.y The free end of the pivoted portion of the handle is downturned, as indicated at 39, Fig. .4, for engagement witha Wear plate-4I when'. the handle is laid flat upon the cover (as shown in Fig. 3), to thereby lock the closure in closed position and establish an hermetic-seal This is the normal position of the parts, and the locking projection 35, by reason of its projection over a corner of the cover, isV held against retraction so long as the handle is not swung to thereby raise the projection 33 above the plane of the cover.

Since a substantial pressure, dependent upon the extent of. manipulation of the hand pump, is established andmaintained within the container during operation, such pressure will hold the cover in closed position regarolless,V of thelocking Ymember 39. Should access to the interior of the container berlzorne necessary,` relief of the internal pressure so as to release the cover is desirable. For this purpose we have mounted upon the under side of-the cover -I I a small housine 42 providingv valveseat Vfor a valveY 431mm is urged into seated position by a spring 4.4,. This j valve, therefore, remainsnormallyl VVclosed-wheng the handle iS. Adown-aeainst the. ooveriandthe projection 3-9vis engaged-with the plate 4;!! The s Stem 4.5 of the Valve rnroraotsk above'the. surface 0f the COVBI llalgnmelilii With. the pil/0, DDEE tion of the handle 315. Therefore; asgthefhandle is slid to the right` viewing Fig.` -orxupwardly viewing Eig, 3, the handle. first :rides over and x depresses the stem-45, ,thereby.opening.ralvese to relieveY the pressurowthinthe oontaincrand thereafter thaprojeotion 39 clears. the .margin-a1 i edge of the Vessel about the opening. VVihentlra pressure iS thus relieved.. the cover. having-heen.; unlocked by the; aforesaid rrroverrl.ont of.: 'the handlais free to Swing downwardly undertheinuence of gravity from the full line tothedottod lino position Shown. .in-.Figari Under the influence. of theair pressure. huilt up. inv the Container by the manipulation-of :the pump. the liquid therein is dsohareedrthroueh a tube 46 to the outer projecting end olwhich a exible. hose 41. .carrying the-sprarnozzle mot shown) is connected ,by meansof a hoseclamp 48.

Prior toour invention the Vtube 44.6 haaboerr extended through a wall of the container ,so that Y its end to. which the hose attached. .extended beyondtho perimeter of the container. muse. particularly where vines, branches and the, like were prevalent, thehose clamp.,would,V notin-V frequentlv. .become caught on such vine. branca.;

or the. likeand as a result thehose would recorre.V disconnected-trom theftubeWithnoonsequoptloss i under pressure of a portion.andrsometimesnrao-- 1 tcally al1 of the liquid inthe container. This objectionable feature, however, is overcome in the present'instance bylocating the hose clamp within instead of outside the peripheral connes of the container. This we have accomplished by providing a hole 49 in the container Wall and covering the hole on the inside with an angular metal piece 5I shaped in contour to conform to the outlines of the hole and provide a Wall 52 through which the tube 46 projects and to which it is xedly secured by solder 53. The end of the tube 46 is, therefore, disposed in the recess formed by. the angle member 5I and the hose clamp by which the hose is connected to the tube is disposed within the confines of the container where it cannot contact withV or catch onto obstacles such as vines and the like which would be apt to disconnect the hose from the tube.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that we have provided a spraying apparatus embodying a number of advantageous features. The construction of the container itself possesses both strength and lightness, and is economical to produce. rlhe pump is permanently mounted in the container entirely independently of the filler opening' and its permanent mounting is not interfered with whenv refilling of the container is required. The mounting, however, is such that the piston of the pump may be removed for inspection or repairs without'removing the pump cylinder'. The closure'foi" the ller opening is hingedly mounted inside the container, whereby it closes with rather than against the pressure, thus insuring a hermetic seal. A locking handle locks the closure in closed position and provides an initial seal, and a relief valve is arranged to be opened when the handle lock is released, thereby relieving the container pressure and permitting the closure to open under the influence of gravity. Finally, the connection betweenthe nozzle hose and the delivery tube is disposed within the peripheral confines of the container, thus accidental displacement of the hose from the tube is minimized.

The structural details illustrated and described may obviously beD varied within considerable limits without departing from the scope of our invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a pressure-type vessel having an access opening, a pressure-tight closure for said openin said vessel, means for opening and closing said closure comprising, a handle member pivotally and slidably mounted on said closure for movements to each of two predetermined positions relative thereto, means carried by the handle and cooperative with the container at one of said positions for securing the closure in closed position over said access opening, and means carried by the handle and cooperative with said pressure relief valve at the second position for opening said valve to relieve the pressure in the vessel.

2. In a pressure-type vessel having an access opening, a pressure-tight closure for said opening, and a relief valve for relieving pressure within said vessel, means for opening and closing said closure comprising, a handle member pivotally mounted on said closure for swinging movements about its pivot axis and movements longitudinally of its axis to each of two predetermined positions relative thereto, means carried by the handle and cooperative with the container when ing, and a relief valve for relieving pressure with- 6. thehandleis swung about its axis vto one of said positions for securing the closure in closed position over said access opening, and means carried by the handle and cooperative with said pressure. relief valve when the handle is moved longitudinally of itsy axis to the second position for axis extending substantially parallel to the general plane of the opening and movable in a path about said hinge from one predetermined position to another, said handle also being movable in another path between predetermined positions relative to the closure, cooperative means ,on saidv vessel and handle for locking said closureV` in pressure-tight engagement with said vessel when the handle is moved in the rst said path to one'of said predetermined positions, and means operated by said handle as it is'moved in the second said path from the last said predetermined position for opening said pressure relief ,valve. 1

4. In a pressure-type vessel having an access opening, a closure member for effecting pressuretight closure of said opening and a valve for relieving the pressure in said vessel, means for locking said closure in closed position and for unlocking and opening said closure comprising, a handle member hinged to said closure on an axis extending substantially parallel to the general plane of the opening and movable through a predetermined arc from one predetermined position to another, said handle also being movable between predetermined positions relative to the closure in the direction of its hinge axis, cooperative means on said vessel and handle for locking said closure in pressure-tight .engagement with said vessel when the handle is moved to one of said predetermined positions, and means operated by said handle as it is moved from the last said predetermined position for opening said pressure relief valve.

5. A pressure apparatus, comprising a container with an access opening, a closure for said access opening hinged within the container and adapted to close said opening with the pressure in the container, a relief valve carried by said closure and arranged to open against and to close with the pressure in the container, and a handle mounted on said closure for swinging movements about a horizontal axis and for movements longitudinally of its said axis, said handle having a locking cam projection at one end and said container having an external cam engaging surface for engagement by said cam projection when said handle is swung in one direction about said axis to secure said closure over said access opening, said cam projection being disengaged from said surface when the handle is swung in the opposite direction, said relief valve being positioned in the path of said handle when the handle is moved longitudinally of its axis and engageable thereby upon such movement whereby to open the valve.

6. In a pressure apparatus comprising a pressure vessel having an access opening and a closure adapted to seal with the pressure against mamar.

7 tlfieimargin yof the vessel deningssaidjfnpenin; a handle mounted on saidclosuraat. its-.exterior side for movements `therewith and:relativetl'iereto, cooperative. camming means. carriedibyfsaid engagementzof said;icamming-.means beirig 'eieeei tive; tddraw saidi..fclosure into :sealing engagemen-t with said vesselmargin, disengagementY fof theeammmgmeans Vbeing effective to release vessel and by said handle, saidcammingrneans 5L said .closurejand pressurearelease valve means being interengageable when said closure-eis; in sealing position and said handle .is vmovedgin, one direction relative to said closure and disengageable Vwhen the handle ismovedxin-a. reverse direction, interengagement. of, said ,camming means being effective to draw said closure :into

sealing engagement with said vessel margin, dieA engagement of the cammingmeans beingiieective tov release said closure, and means .inthe path ofV movement of and .engageablebysaid the margin of the vessel defining said opening a handle mounted on said closure at its exterior;

side for movements therewith and relative `thereto, cooperative camming. means carried by said vessel on its exterior adjacent to said closure and by said handle, said camming means being interengageable when said closure is in sealing position and said handle is moved in one direction relative to said closure and disengageable when the handle ismoved in a reverse direction, inter- ETS.

having. afstem .in them-ath of Ymovement of and engageable-loy said .handle 1in its movement relative. to. said Jclosureein disengagement yorsaid cam-ming means fo'rir'eleasing 'the pressure .Within said' vessel. A

` v JOHN-WINKS.

LYNN FLETCHER.

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